We Rock Hard

Freestylers

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 11, 1999)
• Original Release Date: May 11, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mammoth / Pgd
• ASIN: B00000IP8Y
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,139 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #6 in	Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > International Rap
  #30 in	Music > Dance & Electronic > Big Beat
  #72 in	Music > Indie Music > Rap & Hip-Hop

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Like Fatboy Slim, Asian Dub Foundation, and even Definition of Sound (who show up on "Here We Go," We Rock Hard's anthem), the Freestylers are creatures of the club scene. Their live show is DJ-oriented but involves dancers and rappers; on their debut album, the Freestylers endeavor to layer their music with history (the opening track samples not one but three Public Enemy tracks), big beats, and funky melodies--if they can help it, you're not going to stop dancing for a second. Working with guest MCs keeps the tracks fresh, but if you're not an aficionado of the scene the Freestylers come out of, you might not notice; there's diversity here, but it's subtle. Ultimately, the album falls into a ghetto: it's not quite obvious enough for the casual fan, but it's nowhere near out-there enough for serious crate diggers; fortunately, there are plenty of people who enjoy the middle ground. If you're one, then We Rock Hard is for you. --Randy Silver

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Here we go on a ride..., March 17, 2001

By	3rdeadly3rd (Brisbane, Queensland Australia) - See all my reviews

The tracklisting on my album is slightly different from this one but it's the closest I can find - mine doesn't have "Spaced Invader" or "Check The Skillz" but has "Breaker Beats Part 2". That said, those two tracks would make the album rate above 5 stars (I've heard them both and have them as MP3s).

I first heard the Freestylers by way of their amazing single "B Boy Stance". Having heard "Ruffneck" and "Here We Go" in the weeks after, I had to get the album.

This is definitely not the sort of album to be enjoyed by yourself in your room - best setting for this would be in a club or at a huge party (I say this because the night before writing this I played "Ruffneck" at a friend's party and the joint went off).

A lot of people who I've recommended this album to have declared that they aren't much for techno/rap/breakdancing or whatever else - and yet after hearing "B Boy Stance" or "Ruffneck" they're usually trying to work out where they can pick up a copy. That's what this CD will do to you.

It isn't so much rapping in the vocals as it is that marvellously unintelligible dancehall that is almost everywhere these days. Tenor Fly and Navigator contribute two tracks each of top notch toasting (Tenor Fly excelling himself everywhere and Navigator delivering his better performance on "Ruffneck"). Definition Of Sound - a little-known hip-hop group perform on "Here We Go", a track which effortlessly recreates the spontaneity and tag-team freestyling of the early hip-hop culture.

There are also a good deal of instrumental cuts on the album as well - they don't rate as highly with me because they lack the adrenaline of the vocal cuts (especially the dancehall ones), however, in the right setting (again, a party or club is the way to go) they would be well worthwhile.

The real downside to this album is the over-long "We Rock Hard" with Soul Sonic Force. I'd heard a lot of things about these old-school rappers and expected a decent piece from them. Unfortunately, the track is about twice as long as it needs to be (the second half is a repeat of the first half) with the most inane vocals I've heard in a long time - vocals which are so far separate from rap as to make the listener who is unaware of Soul Sonic's background question what they were.

Overall, an incredibly strong album - required listening for breakdance/hip-hop fans and recommended for anyone who enjoys good funky breaks and great rapping.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some ultimate break beats!!!!!!!!, September 23, 1999

By A Customer

Yo, it brings me back to the old hip-hop days of poppin', lockin', and breakin'. Highly recommended for all party rockin' b-boys and b-girls and the whole b-boy nation. ONE LOVE FLIP SIDE PINOYS

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Phunky Soundz, January 22, 2000

By	Ryan a.k.a. DJ Scratchkat (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

One word - awsome. Lot of good breakbeats, scratches, and dance mixes. Buy it whether you like to listen to some funky soundz or you're a DJ who likes to rock the dance floor. A big blus is that it comes in vinyl, too.